St. Benedict and Navarre
The Academy: Wealthy and titled students flock to the Academy from all over the world, hoping to learn etiquette, languages, philosophy, mathematics, history and rhetoric, as well as its primary curricula: assassination. Students and faculty traditionally wear black and master a variety of deadly weapons, including swords, poison, and perhaps most especially, speech. Ayenwa Park: One of the largest parks in St. Benedict, Ayenwa was named after a famous Orcish leader who unified the Seven Tribes into a peaceful nation whose territory included much of modern-day Meneluinin as well as the eastern portion of Tarkishi. The Bells: One of the safer entertainment districts in Navarre, the Bells houses both the Carmina Opera House and the Tyronus Theatre, as well as approximately 1,000 buskers. Briant University: The largest mundane university in the metropolitan area, Briant is sprawled over both cities, with the river between its two halves. Briant has literally thousands of students who study everything from law and medicine to engineering and philosophy year-round. It is the most prestigious school in the nation, despite the fact that it accepts nearly anyone who has the money to get in. Briant also has a few of the most architecturally-unusual buildings in the cities, including a floating, upside-down pyramid, an alumni center designed to resemble a stylized dragon, and the College of Arms, whose exterior is entirely made out of scrap armor and shines so brightly in direct sunlight that it can't be looked at without physical pain. The Carmina Opera House: Most people forget the Opera House has a first name. Although there are other opera houses in Meneluinin, and even within the metropolitan area, there are none quite so large, none quite so grand, and none that serve as a battle-ground between the two houses, both of whom like to believe they have the best claim to cultural superiority. The Consumptive Rose: A strange inn on the outskirts of the St. Benedict-Navarre metropolitan area, the Rose was once owned by a wizard and has taken on a life of its own since the wizard passed on. According to those who live in the Rose, she does not like having spells directed at her and has rooms bigger than is technically possible. She also eats people who fight in her. Dinkytown: Most of the city's population of gnomes and halflings reside in Dinkytown, which forms its own little mini-city within St. Benedict. ... very mini. Downtown: In St. Benedict, Downtown is literally "down." Far beneath the city, in its network of underground tunnels, sewers and cellars, lies a thriving shadow-metropolis, filled with rats. Some literal rats, unintelligent, and some magically-enhanced rats, cunning sharpened by decades of breeding underneath one of the magical colleges, some shifters who consider themselves rats, and some who just don't fit into normal society very well. Difficult to get to without help, and dangerous in its own... tooth-and-nail way. The Great River: A massive river runs between St. Benedict and Navarre, and technically, it is called the Great River, partly because the elvish and human settlers to the area misunderstood their Orcish guide. He called it the g'iirateh river, which is another way of saying "pain in the ass" river. Unfortunately, the name stuck. Fortunately, most people just call it "The River" anyway. Hard Tmes: A questionable coffeeshop in the Lower Quarter. The coffee is excellent, and the patrons are very nice, albeit a bit scary-looking. Ulisse d'Amici keeps an apartment on the second floor. Hazard House: The Hazard House is one of the larger brothels in the city. It is one of many run by Andrea d'Amici. The House of Good Repute: Before Andrea d'Amici took it over and rechristened it, the House of Pretty Good Repute was a typical high-priced brothel, reportedly excellent in its own way but quite like other establishments of its kind. After Andrea purchased it, he revamped it into a stylish, ultra-chic, ultra-exclusive club, sleek, elegant, and reeking of old, old money. Though it remains in essence a brothel, the people who work there are the most well-educated, clever and beautiful in the city, with an admirable reticence to speak about clients. They are also highly sought-after as marriage prospects when they retire. Lake Harriet: Icy and bleak in the winter and sumptuous and brilliant blue in the summer, Lake Harriet is a large lake brimming with game fish and also, monsters. Lario Zoo: A small zoo located on the outskirts of St. Benedict, the Lario Zoo has far fewer animals than the Meneluinin Zoo, but they are easier to see. Lario does have a nice little carnival of rides adjacent to it, and it also has a gorgeous, lush conservatory and greenhouse--a popular destination for weddings. The Lower Quarter: There are disreputable dens of seething iniquity, hives of scum and villainy, and then there's the Lower Quarter, a revolting warren of human trash, strikingly poor and desperate. The Lower Quarter is full of the poorest of the poor and the most desperate of the desperate. Expect throats to be slit for a penny, and expect the most worn prostitutes, the cheapest, vilest booze and a flourishing drug trade, complete with violence and dirt-cheap villainy. The Meneluinin Zoo: Commissioned about 25 years ago, the Meneluinin Zoo houses rare and exotic creatures of all descriptions, including lions, dire tigers, bears, and more exotic fare such as elementals and even one aging dragon, who enjoys giving tours. The Meneluinin Zoo is the largest in the nation, and charges its visitors an entry fee. At the same time, the animal habitats are so impressive that some of the animals are a touch difficult to see. No one's sure if the displacer beast has ever been in its cage or not. The Tyronus Theatre: The inhospitable-looking and ominously-named Tyronus, which was built to resemble a frowning golem's head, for some reason, nonetheless enjoys a reputation of being the best theater in the country. Actors flock to Navarre to try out for parts at the Tyronus, knowing that if they succeed, their fame is nearly assured. With that much competition, however, only the best of the best make the roster. Uptown: Uptown was once the swankiest district in Navarre, with spacious, elegant apartment buildings in beautifully-designed brick and stone. It evolved into a place where "the cool people" hang out--mostly overpriced coffeeshops and restaurants, really, with the aging apartment buildings scattered around. Beware of Hipsters. The Vulgar Truth: The inn full of weirdos on the other side of Lake Harriet. Category:Geography